Ministry of Education
James Webb Space Telescope Launch and IIT Kharagpur Connection
Kolkata, February 17, 2022
We all know that the James Webb Space Telescope was launched on an Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle, one of the world's most reliable launch vehicles on December 25, 2021. It was chosen for a combination of reliability  and for the value it brings via international partnership. However, not many are aware that this launch from the European Space Agency  spaceport in French Guiana had a unique KGP connection.
Alumnus Dr. Ranbir Sinha  worked on the structural design and simulation of the Ariane 5 nose-cone and Payload Fairing , which protected the Webb during the launch.
The James Webb Space Telescope  is the next great space science observatory that takes up the baton from the Hubble Space Telescope. It has been designed to seek answers to the unknown of the Universe and make breakthroughs in astronomy. Webb, an international partnership between the European Space Agency , The National Aeronautics and Space Administration , and the Canadian Space Agency , has been tasked with unravelling our origins. It looks into the formation of stars, planets, and galaxies in the early universe.
The 17 m tall and 5.4 m diameter PLF on the Ariane 5 was made of light-weight Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic  and Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic  Sandwich panels which were assembled with aluminium alloy rings and magnesium alloy ‘Vertical Separation System’. Dr. Sinha’s responsibility was to ensure its separation without hitting the payload or the launcher.
Dr. Ranbir Sinha is a rocket-scientist, an inventor, and an educator. He received his Bachelor of Technology degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT-Kharagpur, India and achieved the top merit position in the graduating class. He received his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota, USA. His Ph.D. thesis became one of the early foundations of Software Integration in the field of Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering Design.
Dr. Sinha worked as a researcher in space industries in Europe and contributed to many European Space Agency projects: Rosetta Spacecraft, Meteo-sat Second Generation, ATV-International Space Station transportation, European Ariane-5 rocket, also American Atlas-V rocket, etc. Many of his inventions have become standard practices in space industries worldwide.
Dr. Sinha’s work on Atlas-V rocket has appeared in Guinness world records 2013. Dr. Sinha lives in Switzerland and heads a research firm; he also has been voluntarily teaching and inspiring the students in India. He is one of the founders and past president of the Society for Promoting Applied Science and Engineering. In addition to innovative engineering, he also teaches practical communication skills for success. He focuses on the essential, pragmatic, and targeted teaching techniques for maximum efficacy, i.e. fix 80% of the problems in 20% time taken by traditional methods.
For the past three decades, Dr. Sinha has been involved in the design and analysis of numerous space structures including Automated Transfer Vehicle for the International Space Station, the Meteosat Second Generation, Atlas V Payload Fairing, the X-Ray Multi-Mirror Telescope, the Rosetta Spacecraft High Gain Antenna mechanism, and many more.
Dr. Sinha currently focuses on creating opportunities in large-scale practical engineering education. ACSESS is one such platform through which he and his team are helping engineering and science students in India improve their professional communication skills in English.
He also heads the Sinha Research Institute in Switzerland.
Dr Sinha said, the practical problem-solving skills he learned as a student empowered him the most in his career. He recalled his NCC Airwing days at IIT KGP and credited it with not only inculcating discipline, self-confidence, teamwork, leadership, and perseverance in him but also in shaping his personality.
Dr Sinha also sees promise in the growth trajectory of the future of the aerospace industry in India. Beyond ISRO, he believes that private aerospace companies have the potential to become world leaders in specific niche areas in both the commercial and military aerospace sectors.
In his message to young students in India, Dr. Sinha advised the learning of a wide range of subjects and developing multiple skills. He highlighted that learning itself is not enough and the learning must be converted into finding applications and creating useful solutions and products. He further advised the mastering of communication, social, and leadership skills. Finally, he asked the young generation to never forget our great culture and heritage.